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Expert guide to Florence

An insider's guide to the best festivals and events in Florence, including Taste foodie festival, Maggio Musicale, Firenze Gelato Festival and ‘50 Days of International Cinema’. By Nicky Swallow and Lee Marshall, Telegraph Travel's Florence experts.

Calendar of festivals and events 2018

Taste March 10-12, 2018

Florentine foodies flock to this huge gastronomic extravaganza, part trade fair and part gastronomic free-for-all, housed in the converted Stazione Leopolda train station. Centred on long rows of food and drink stalls inside the Leopolda, the three day event also offers tastings, exhibitions, talks, pop-up food stalls and off-site events in Florence restaurants, hotels and landmarks.

Explore this huge gastronomic extravaganza housed in the converted Stazione Leopolda train station

Scoppio del Carro
Easter Sunday (April 1)

One of Florence’s most ancient events, the Scoppio del Carro centres on a cart stuffed with fireworks pulled by a team of white oxen and escorted by a procession of Florentines in Renaissance costume. Once the cart gets to Piazza del Duomo (and the oxen have been detached) a fiery mechanical dove swoops from inside the cathedral to light the blue touchpaper. For a Christianised pagan rite of spring, it’s all great fun.

One of Florence’s most ancient events, the Scoppio del Carro centres on a cart stuffed with fireworks pulled by a team of white oxenCredit:
Copyright:Stefano Cellai/Stefano Cellai,Stefano Cellai

Maggio Musicale
April-June

Founded in 1933, the Maggio has become Italy’s leading opera and classical music festival, with a strong remit for new work and revivals of little-known curios amidst the more mainstream fare. A roster of visiting performers bolster the sterling work of the city’s resident Maggio Musicale orchestra and choir. Main venue is the dramatic Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze opera house and concert hall by ABDR architects, which opened to the public in May 2014.

Firenze Gelato Festival End of April

Florence’s long standing tradition of top-quality artisanal ice-cream is celebrated in this five-day festival dedicated to gelato in all its forms (including frozen cocktails), which takes over the lanes and piazzas of the centro storico for five days in April.

Florence Cocktail Week
April 30-May 6

The cult of the cocktail in Florence has been growing in popularity in recent years with new bar openings and top-notch mixologists offering an ever-increasing range of fantastic, spirited libations. Now in its third year, Florence Cocktail Week is one to watch out for; seven days of events, masterclasses, meetings and fabulous drinks hosted by 20 bars throughout the city which will each present four specially-curated cocktails. A panel of experts will choose the winning drink at the end of the week. Guest mixologists include Philip Bischoff from the Manhattan Bar in Singapore, No. 7 on the World’s Best Bars list.
Location: various venues across FlorenceContact: caflorencecocktailweek.it

New Generation Festival
August 29-September 1

The second edition of this opera festival, which sells itself as a mini-Glyndebourne, is held in the formal Renaissance gardens of grand Palazzo Corsini. It showcases young and up-and-coming talent from the opera world along with orchestral concerts, dinners and other cultural events. You can pre-order a picnic hamper, champagne and wines and dine within the gardens dressed in your glad rags. At the time of writing, the 2018 programme has not been released. Tickets are not cheap, but the festival offer a chance to hobnob with the great and the good of Florence and to get an insiders take on Palazzo Corsini and its magnificent grounds.

This regular summer festival brings a plethora of music, theatre and dance offerings to the atmospheric setting of the Bargello Museum (pictured)Credit:
VRABELPETER1 - FOTOLIA

Estate al Bargello
Runs for five weeks between late June and July (Dates TBC)

This regular summer festival brings a plethora of music, theatre and dance offerings to the atmospheric setting of the Bargello Museum, whose Medieval courtyard is turned into an open-air auditorium for the occasion. At the time of writing the 2017 programme had not been announced, but with the remit covering jazz, classical, dance and other genres there’s usually something here for most musical tastes.

50 giorni di Cinema Internazionale
October to December (Dates TBC)

A raft of autumn festivals and other cinematic events in Florence come together under the ‘50 Days of International Cinema’ banner. Top draws include the Festival dei Popoli documentary festival in November and the River to River Indian film festival in early December. Many events centre on the historic Odeon cinema in Piazza Strozzi.